Pleasure, Jealousy and Revenge
by MGFstories
Summary: *UPDATED* We know that Katherine deceived and left both Salvatore brothers. But what happens when Katherine's lookalike, Elena, arrives in Mystic Falls? Damon tries his best to prove to Elena that Stephan is only using her. *UPDATED for July 2014*
1. Chapter 1

**The Vampire Diaries-Pleasure, Jealousy and Revenge**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters and worlds belong to the author L. J. Smith**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

All eyes were set on the new girl, Elena Gilbert, who had recently moved to Mystic Falls following the accident that killed both of her parents. The Salvatore brothers, Damon and Stefan, had also moved back to Mystic Falls after living in silence as vampires for over a century. They had suffered a lot. Both brothers were deceived by another vampire named Katherine, and not only did she mess around with both of them, but she also left them despising each other.

Stefan was already finding an interest in Elena. He had managed to find her at lunch to introduce himself.

"Hi, I'm Stefan", he said. "You're Elena, right?"

"Yeah", she answered. "Nice to meet you".

Elena looked exactly like Katherine, which was why Stefan was so interested in her.

"So, how's your first day been?" asked Stefan. "I mean the first is usually the worst for me".

"Not bad, thanks", she answered. "I managed to find all my classes except one".

"Which one is that?"

"History", said Elena. "I don't suppose you could show me where it is?"

"Yeah, sure. We've got a few minutes before class starts anyway" Stefan replied. He was more than willing to show Elena around school, and it was a chance for him to get to know her more.

"I know I may sound a bit desperate, but I was wondering if you'd like to go for a meal sometime?" he asked.

She smiled. "Sure".

The bell rang, and both Stefan and Elena made their way to history. Stefan was looking forward to his meal with Elena, and he was extremely relieved that she had accepted his offer.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Vampire Diaries-Pleasure, Jealousy and Revenge**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters and worlds belong to the author L. J. Smith**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Stefan had decided to meet Elena at the Mystic Grill, where all the locals visited. From there everything had gone perfectly smooth, and it seemed as though their friendship was growing stronger and stronger.

"Oh my…you're serious, right?" laughed Elena.

"Have you even tried it?" asked Stefan.

"No, no, no!" Elena replied. "Sushi is not my thing".

Elena had laughed at almost every word Stefan had uttered, and Stefan found her laugh so fascinating that it almost looked as though he was possessed by her.

Although Elena was hesitant at first, they both decided to end the day by going round to Stefan's house.

"Wow, I love your house".

The Salvatore's house was very old, but it also looked like it had been very well looked after. The wooden walls were glossy and every window pane seemed to sparkle. Elena appeared to be so interested that she hardly breathed.

"Why thank you", said Stefan. "Now, please take a seat Madam and I shall bring you a drink".

Elena couldn't help but laugh, which she had done for most of the time she had spent with Stefan.

"You're such a gentleman", said Elena, as she took her glass from Stefan.

They carried on talking, joking and laughing towards the end of the night, but stopped when someone came through the door.

"Stefan!" said Damon. "Who's your pretty friend?"

"Err…Elena this is Damon, my brother" Stefan explained, narrowing his eyes every time he looked at him.

"Pleased to meet you" she smiled, shaking his hand.

"Hmm, beautiful and polite" said Damon, keeping hold of her hand and gently kissing it.

"Ok, now" said Stefan. "I think Katherine wants to go home now!"

"Katherine?" asked Elena.

"Yeah, Stefan. Who's Katherine?" Damon knew exactly what he was on about, but why did Stefan mention her?

"Err…I meant Elena. Sorry".

What was he doing? Stefan was confusing her, Elena, with the past. But somewhere deep down he couldn't forget that beautiful face, passionate smile and irresistible scent that Katherine held. Nobody could replace her, not even Elena. Stefan knew that every thought swirling through his mind was being heard by Damon, as this was a special quality that vampires held. No, he must not confuse Elena with Katherine. It wasn't fair.

"Yeah, err…I'll see you tomorrow", said Elena, heading for the door.

As soon as the door shut, Damon turned to face Stefan with suspicion.

"I know" Stefan sighed.

"I won't let you, Stefan" he warned. "I won't let you use her".

"Damon, you took Katherine away from me once. I won't let you do it again".

"But you're only using her to replace Katherine. That's not fair, Stefan", Damon explained.

"What about me, Damon? What about how I felt when you stole Katherine away from me?" he shouted, fuming with rage.

"How can you be so selfish, messing around with an innocent girl's life just to please yourself?" Damon couldn't, and wouldn't, let Stefan use her for his own sake. Nobody, not even Elena, deserved that.

"Listen, Damon" said Stefan, lowering his voice. "This has nothing to do with you. Don't even think about trying to stop me, otherwise you know how this will end.

"Oh, so you're threatening me now?" questioned Damon, spreading a wide smirk across his face.

"I'm just warning you, Damon", said Stefan, making his way up the stairs.

"My dear brother" whispered Damon, "We shall see what happens"

Damon held his glass of blood in the air, examined it, and then drank it all in one gulp.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Vampire Diaries-Pleasure, Jealousy and Revenge**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters and worlds belong to the author L. J. Smith**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

In such a short space of time, Stefan and Elena had become closer than ever. Anyone would think that they had been friends for a very long time. Despite the fact that Damon had warned him, Stefan became even more serious with Elena. He could still see Katherine. He could only see Katherine. And yes, he knew he was doing the wrong, but he had to hold on. Don't let him have her, thought Stefan. Don't let Damon take Elena away from you as well.

"What's wrong with Damon?" asked Elena, as she came round to visit Stefan one night. She noticed Damon's unusual behaviour, and how he kept on avoiding the two of them all night.

"I don't know" Stefan replied. "He's probably just tired".

Stefan had decided to watch a film, and it was Elena who picked out Romeo and Juliet.

"So you like romantic films?" asked Stefan. He realised that Katherine and Elena had two completely different personalities.

"Yeah, especially Romeo and Juliet", she replied. "What about you?"

"Me? Well, I like romance and drama", answered Stefan.

"Hmm, interesting".

"Yes, very interesting". It was Damon, and this time he looked amused.

"Go", whispered Stefan, eyeing towards the door.

But Damon simply ignored him and sat on the couch opposite Elena, slowly sipping away at his glass of wine.

"My brother…he likes a good love story", Damon continued, "y'know…real love stories".

Stefan was about to get up, but he stopped. If I do anything, she might know something is wrong, he thought. No, Stefan, just calm down.

"Aw, that's so sweet, Stefan!" she smiled. "I don't think I've ever met any boy who's like you".

As the film went on, Damon kept his eyes fixated on Elena. She was pretty, but Damon could see the difference. Elena looked nothing like Katherine to him. In fact, Elena was prettier and her personality was much better than Katherine's. They were two completely different people.

From across the room, Stefan looked disturbed. He knew what Damon was thinking, but he didn't want to look him in the eye to confirm this.

"You know something" said Elena, as soon as they got to the end of the film, "no matter how many times I watch that film I never get bored of it. It's just so good!"

"Well, I'm glad you liked it, Elena", said Damon, looking over at Stefan to see his reaction.

Stefan agreed to walk Elena home, that way he could spend some more time with her without the presence of Damon.

"I hope you enjoyed it today", said Stefan, as they reached the front porch to Elena's house. Without knowing he was holding her hands, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" she asked, looking at Stefan with suspicion.

"It's just that I thought Damon might have made you feel uncomfortable".

"No, he's quite friendly actually", she said. "I like him".

Stefan's face dropped. She likes Damon, he thought.

"No, not in that way", said Elena, correcting herself. She must have recognised the change in Stefan's face.

Stefan managed to smile. He was nearly there. He would soon have his very own Katherine back, and she would be Stefan's forever…

"Are you alright?" Elena asked. "Honestly, I didn't mean it in that way, Stefan. If anything…I like you".

He looked into her face, and Katherine looked back. He won. Damon had failed.

"Kath-I mean…Elena, I like you too" he whispered, holding her hands and entwining his fingers within hers.

Everything had gone so fast, and Stefan had least expected it to. Her face was so smooth and delicate. It was as if she was fragile, and the wrong move would break her into pieces. No, Stefan would never hurt her. But he was. He was hurting her right now. He only loved Katherine, so why was he kissing Elena?

"What's wrong, Stefan?" she asked, moving back to look at him properly.

"Nothing, you're just so…beautiful".

Everything had gone perfect. Elena was his now and Stefan would make sure that it stayed that way.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Vampire Diaries-Pleasure, Jealousy and Revenge**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters and worlds belong to the author L. J. Smith**

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><p><span>Chapter 4<span>

"How's Elena, or should I say Katherine?" asked Damon, flicking through the TV channels.

"Why do you want to know?" Stefan was feeling the blood in his veins boiling.

"I'm warning you, Stefan. Stop it before it's too late", warned Damon, pointing his finger towards him.

Stefan was out of his chair in the space of two seconds, holding his hands tight around Damon's neck against the wall.

"Don't get involved!" he shouted, keeping hold of Damon's neck. Stefan's grip wasn't enough to keep Damon against the wall, and with a forceful push, Damon managed to grab Stefan, turn him around and pin him even harder against the wall.

"Now don't you forget", threatened Damon, "I'm stronger than you. Much stronger".

Stefan tried but he couldn't get away from Damon's grip, and so he finally gave up.

"I won't tell you again, Stefan." said Damon.

"You're not going to give up, are you?" asked Stefan.

"No.", said Damon, smirking at his brother.

"Just get off me!" shouted Stefan, pulling away from his brother's hands.

"You can't go on like this forever".

Stefan scowled and made his way out the door, slamming it shut.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Vampire Diaries-Pleasure, Jealousy and Revenge**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters and worlds belong to the author L. J. Smith**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 5<span>

"Elena! Hey, Elena!" Stefan called, running up to the school yard where Elena stood.

"Oh, Stefan!" she replied, smiling very happily.

"You look really happy, why's that?" asked Stefan. He was holding her hand again, but this time consciously.

"Well, we're more than friends now, aren't we?" Elena looked deeply into Stefan's eyes, looking for an answer, but Stefan looked back with guilt. Damon was right, thought Stefan. He had told Stefan to stop before it was too late, but Stefan had simply ignored his brother's requests and continued hurting a young and fragile girl. But he could feel a sense of necessity, a sense that told him to keep Elena…until he was properly fed.

"Stefan?"

"Of course", he managed to say. He was being selfish, yet he didn't want to stop.

Elena smiled and took his hand as they walked to their first class.

During break Stefan had decided to go home to supply himself with a pack of blood, and Damon used his absence to his advantage by meeting Elena in the school yard.

"Damon, you've just missed Stefan. He's gone home", said Elena.

"No, Elena. I came here to see you", he said, looking concerned.

"What is it?" asked Elena, worry in her eyes.

"It's Stefan", answered Damon, "he's, he's…"

"He's what, Damon?"

"He's messing you around, Elena?"

"What are you talking about? I don't understand, Damon". Elena was even more worried now.

"I'm talking about Stefan, Elena. Your friend is using you".

"Don't be stupid, Damon. You can't just come and tell me that Stephan is using me".

"I just have, Elena, and it's true".

"How do I know you're not lying?" asked Elena.

"It's a long story", said Damon.

"I can wait all day for this if I have to" Elena said, crossing her arms.

Damon signed, and after a few moments of silence began speaking.

"Stefan…he had this girlfriend", spoke Damon. He started going through the whole story of how Stefan had fallen in love with Katherine, deceived his own brother for her and suffered deception after Katherine played around with the two brothers.

"And he just doesn't seem to forget her, Elena."

"Why didn't he say anything to me?" asked Elena.

"Come on, Elena. Stefan wouldn't just come and tell you that he's in love with someone else when he's with you, would he?" said Damon. He did feel some sort of guilt for confronting his brother and leaving Elena hopeless, but it was the truth, and sometimes the truth does hurt.

"I just…I don't know what to believe". Elena looked around the school yard, as though she was looking for something or someone.

"I'm sorry, Elena", said Damon, "I just thought it would be better to tell you sooner".

"I know, and I'm gonna go talk to him" said Elena, "He's got some real explaining to do".


	6. Chapter 6

**The Vampire Diaries-Pleasure, Jealousy and Revenge**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters and worlds belong to the author L. J. Smith**

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><p><span>Chapter 6<span>

"What?" asked Stefan, making out what looked like a shocked face.

_She knew_, thought Stefan, _she knew because someone had told her_.

"Elena, I would never-

"Don't you lie to me, Stefan!" shouted Elena, "No more lies!"

"But you don't understand. Let me explain, Elena", pleaded Stefan.

Elena stood, arms folded.

"Five minutes".

"Thank you", said Stefan, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I'm sure Damon's already told you the story about Katherine".

Elena nodded, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Well, he may have changed some parts of the story…like the part where he stole Katherine away from me" said Stefan, waiting for a response from Katherine.

"Is that it?" Elena asked, her arms still folded.

"No, Elena. He changed her into a monster, so that she would hate me forever. He took Katherine away from me Elena, and she never came back. Do you know how it feels to love someone so deeply that when they're gone you just can't to repair yourself?" asked Stefan. "That's how I felt, Elena, until I met you. You changed everything. You changed me".

Elena looked up at him with some sort of sympathy. Her arms started to unfold as she turned towards him.

"And now, Elena, I don't want him to do the same with you" he continued, "I want to keep you safe with me".

Stefan was looking at Elena, hoping she would believe him. Elena stood silent for a while, and then started walking towards him.

"But…why didn't you tell me any of this before?" she asked, holding his hand softly. "If you would've told me earlier, I wouldn't have believed Damon."

"I'm sorry, I just didn't think it seemed right" Stefan lied, as he had done for almost every second he was with Elena. Every word that came out of his mouth to Elena was a lie, and although he knew it, Stefan felt neither guilt nor remorse.

"I suppose I should stay away from Damon", said Elena, hugging Stefan tightly.

Stefan smiled. He had won her back.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Vampire Diaries-Pleasure, Jealousy and Revenge**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters and worlds belong to the author L. J. Smith**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 7<span>

"I thought I told you to stay away", shouted Stefan, pushing Damon back into the living room. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me why you won't leave her alone".

Damon didn't respond, allowing Stefan to push him further and further away.

"Speak, Damon!" Stephan demanded.

Damon stood carelessly. Instead, he smirked and this made Stefan even angrier, pushing him further into the living room.

"I warned you before, Stefan", Damon spoke quietly. "Stop using her. She'll find out sooner or later".

"Listen, Damon" ordered Stefan, grabbing Damon by the shoulders, "I'm not here to listen to what you've got to say, I'm here to warn you. You're making things worse".

Ignoring Stefan, Damon loosened his grip and walked over to the table, pouring himself a glass of blood.

"Are you even listening?"

"Yes, Stefan. I'm listening", Damon replied, gulping his last sip of blood and indulging every bit of it

"Good", Stephan declared, folding his arms in satisfaction.

Damon's smirk widened as he made his way towards Stephan, handing him his glass.

"But I won't stop", he affirmed, patting him on the back.

Stefan dropped the glass onto the floor, and as he looked back up, Damon was gone.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Vampire Diaries-Pleasure, Jealousy and Revenge**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters and worlds belong to the author L. J. Smith**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 8<span>

A few minutes after Damon left, Stefan heard a knock on the front door.

"I'll get you back", whispered Stefan, assuming that it would be Damon and grabbing a wooden baton beside the fireplace.

As he opened the door, Stefan made a full frontal attack with the baton. He hadn't stopped to see the person who had knocked, and found that he had hit Elena right on the head. Her body lay loosely on the stone floor, with no hint of life within her.

"Elena!" shouted Stefan, dropping the baton and struggling to find a pulse. She was still alive. Elena was unconscious, and as soon as she would wake up, Stefan would have to explain everything. But what if she doesn't believe me, thought Stefan. What if she suspects something?

Without hesitating, Stefan picked Elena up and made his way towards the cellar. He had to hide her. If Damon saw this, he would use it to his advantage. Stefan had to make sure that would not happen.

Once he placed Elena into the cellar and locked the door, Stefan hid the key into his pocket and headed back upstairs. He couldn't just sit there dwelling on about Elena and the fact that he had mistaken her for Damon, so Stefan decided to go out. He felt nervous, but not for Elena, for himself. His selfishness was such that he didn't want Damon to know, he wanted to keep Elena locked up in that cellar until she had woken up. It seemed as though Stefan felt no sense of remorse for what he had done to Elena, all he cared about now was going to the Mystic Grill and making sure that Damon would be there. He wanted to lure him into staying longer for a drink, or something that would keep him at the Grill for longer.

When he got there, Stefan couldn't find him. There were a couple of people known to Damon, but Damon himself did not seem to be around. After several minutes of looking, Stefan decided to have a drink. He wasn't concerned anymore. Damon was probably out hunting, something he would normally do to relieve his anger from the argument with Stefan.

So Stefan slowly began drinking his first glass, examining its content and savouring every gulp.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Vampire Diaries-Pleasure, Jealousy and Revenge**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters and worlds belong to the author L. J. Smith

* * *

><p>Chapter 9<p>

Damon cleared his last pile of victims and drove his way back home. Stefan had gone, and the broken glass still lay on the floor in pieces. Something didn't smell right. The wooden baton on the floor raised his suspicions even more. Damon started walking from room to room, trying to grasp the smell that seemed familiar but fresh. He walked towards the kitchen, but the smell faded away. Across the hall, the smell grew stronger, and as he got towards the stairs that led down to the cellar, the suspicious smell was at its strongest. Damon peered down, feeling uneasy at the thought of what, or who, could be down there. As he reached the cellar, Damon found himself looking at a girl. Her hair was covering her face, but Damon could still manage to make out the unconscious female.

"Elena?" he called, looking around desperately for a key. "Elena, are you alright?"

Elena hadn't woken up yet, and lay there helplessly silent. Damon rummaged through the mass of keys that were kept on a little hook, but still couldn't find that one small key to the cellar.

"Elena! Elena!" shouted Damon. "Elena, I need you to tell me where the keys are! Elena, wake up!"

Damon pounded against the cellar, trying his very best to break the door open. But it was hopeless.

"Damon?" Elena croaked, rubbing her head gently. "Damon, what's going on?

"I don't know, Elena! I'm looking for the key, do you know where it is?" asked Damon, making one last attempt to look for the key.

"Damon, I'm scared", Elena sobbed, still holding her head to ease the pain.

"Don't be, Elena. You're safe with me", Damon assured. "I'll get you out, just be patient"

"I don't know where the key is", said Elena, looking around. "Where am I, Damon?"

"Don't worry, you're in my house".

"Oh Damon, please. Can you just try and get me out", pleaded Elena, now clinging onto the bars of the cellar.

Damon held her hand tightly, trying to keep her calm. He felt that it was his duty to keep Elena safe, to keep her protected and to keep her away from evil. Stefan had something to do with this, thought Damon, I told him to stay away.

"Okay, Elena", said Damon, "I want you to stay well back. I'm going to open this cellar but you need to stay back".

Elena anxiously staggered towards the back wall of the cellar, awaiting Damon's next move. With one huge, forceful push Damon's strength had really paid off. The door to the cellar broke off the lock and fell into the cellar, leaving a wide gap. Elena looked up at Damon, rushing towards him.

"Thank you, Damon", breathed Elena. "My head really hurts".

Damon stepped back to take a look at Elena, examining the deeply coloured bruise on her forehead and Elena's left eye which had swollen.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

"I don't know. I just remember coming round to see Stefan…and then this happened". Elena gently massaged her head; the pain had become too unbearable.

"Here, let's go upstairs. You need to rest". Damon gently took Elena upstairs and towards the spare room where he would lay Elena to rest.

As they got into the living room, Stefan stood at the front door, holding the very wooden baton that he had hit Elena with.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Vampire Diaries-Pleasure, Jealousy and Revenge**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters and worlds belong to the author L. J. Smith**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 10<span>

"Stefan, what are you doing?" asked Damon, despite knowing already. He grabbed Elena tightly by the hand, keeping her protected behind him.

"What are _you_ doing?" Stefan looked angrily into Damon's eyes. "Let her go, Damon".

"Stefan?" Elena was confused. She had no idea what was going on, and why Stefan was so angry. "What's going on?"

"Elena, I'm trying to save you. I told you Damon was-

"_Save_ her!" said Damon, raising his voice. "You're trying to save Elena? What are you, some hero? Look what you've done".

Damon kept Elena close behind him, but Elena stood confused.

"Damon, get out of my way" demanded Stefan. "How many times do I have to tell you before you will listen?"

Before Damon could respond, Stefan swung the baton towards him. He missed. Damon grabbed Stefan's arm, pushed him to the ground and forced his hands around his neck.

"Damon! Damon, stop!" shouted Elena, desperately trying to get his hand off Stefan. "Damon you're hurting him!"

But Damon ignored her, and continued strangling his brother's neck.

"Elena, stay out of this! You have no idea what he's been up to" said Damon, struggling to keep his hands around Stefan's neck. "Elena, he hit you on the head and locked you up!"

Elena looked at Stefan, waiting for his response, or even his denial. But Stefan remained silent, desperately trying to get Damon off.

Elena stood looking at him in confusion. "Damon, get off him".

Damon picked Stefan up by his collar and threw the baton towards the fireplace. Elena walked up to Stefan, looking him in the eye.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked, looking back at Damon, who had his arms folded.

"Tell her, Stefan" urged Damon, raising his eyebrows. "Tell her you did this".

The room was filled with a few minutes of silence. Then Elena spoke.

"Stop it!" said Elena. "I don't understand why you always have to argue. You're supposed to be brothers!"

Elena slumped herself onto the couch, pressing her hands tightly against her head. Stefan stared at her in what appeared to be guilt. He stood there, not knowing what to do. _Should I tell her_, he thought. _Damon already knows_. _It's too late_.

"You don't understand Elena", explained Damon, "because you don't know the full story. I'm trying to tell you but you don't want to listen".

"But I already know what you're going to say, Damon", argued Elena. "Stefan's already told me".

"Of course", Damon responded. "The criminal always has to defend himself, doesn't he?"

Damon faced Stefan, arms still folded. Stefan knew what he was waiting for.

"I won't" said Stefan, keeping his head down to avoid eye contact with Elena.

"That's alright, Stefan" warned Damon. "The more you lie the worse it's going to get. But then again, you don't seem to care".

"Leave him alone, Damon".

"No, Elena" Damon declared, pausing to look around at Stefan and back to Elena. "In fact, I'll leave you both alone. I don't care anymore".

Damon made his way towards the front door, but someone grabbed him tightly back into the living room, throwing him onto the couch. Stefan stood in front of him, his face filled with anguish.

"Why do you always have to make me feel guilty", Stefan interrogated, his face only an inch away from Damon's.

Damon lay restlessly on the couch, awaiting Stefan's next move. Stefan went over to Elena, looking deeply into her deep, brown eyes. She looked back, confused but also eager to know what Stefan was about to say.

"Listen, Elena" Stefan began. "I haven't been entirely honest with-

"No, stop". Elena got up from the couch, looking back at Stefan in despair. She took his hand, and then let go. A sudden drop of tear came rushing down her cheeks. Elena could no longer stand in the same room as Stefan. She knew what was coming, and before Stefan was able to finish, she found the truth. Elena couldn't bear it any longer and ran out of the door.

"Elena!" shouted Stefan, running after her. "Elena, wait! Please don't go".

Elena ran. She ran as fast as she could, making no attempt to look back. She couldn't bear a second longer with him, or next to him. Damon had been right all along, and yet Elena refused to accept that. She ran and ran. But Elena wasn't fast enough. Stefan grabbed her, swung her round to face him and looked her in the eye.

"Let go, Stefan!" Elena demanded, struggling to get his hands off her.

"Elena, I'm sorry".

"Is that it?" questioned Elena, trying to catch her breath. "You take advantage of me, you leave me abandoned in your cellar, and all you can say is sorry?"

Elena couldn't take it any longer. She loosened his grip off her shoulders and ran further away. Stefan stood, no longer willing to go after her. He didn't feel the need to go. He no longer cared.

Elena found herself on the front porch, but she couldn't bear to face her Aunt Jenna. The tears continued racing down her soft, pale cheeks, and Elena sunk to the ground, her head deeply buried into her face. The air grew colder, and a sudden gush of wind came followed by light drops of rain. The sharp pain in Elena's head had disappeared, but was now replaced by a burning pain in her chest. Stefan had used and abused her, shred her heart to pieces and left her abandoned with no hope whatsoever.

The rain grew heavier, and Elena was now soaking wet. But she remained where she was, unable to move. She looked up into the dreary rain, taking a minute to soak in what had happened. She still couldn't get over the fact that Stefan had left her abandoned in the underground cellar, beaten and bruised. And that Stefan was using her to replace his former girlfriend, Katherine, was another shock to Elena. _How could he_, she thought. _I really thought he loved me._

Again, a new set of tears came trickling down Elena's cheeks. Her eyes were now swollen red, but she just couldn't stop crying. For once in her life, Elena had found someone she could love, trust and possibly spend the rest of her life with. Elena stood back up, and walked towards the forest that stood a few yards away. Her body felt weak, but she didn't care, and carried on walking. Everything appeared blurry, Elena felt sick, and she didn't seem to feel the ground as she walked. Elena couldn't carry on any longer, and suddenly, everything turned black.


	11. Chapter 11

**The Vampire Diaries-Pleasure, Jealousy and Revenge**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters and worlds belong to the author L. J. Smith**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 11<span>

"What did I tell you?" shouted Stefan, pushing Damon further back against the wall. "I told you to stay away. I told you not to get involved. You didn't listen. Now she's gone",

Damon laughed in response. "And you really care, huh?"

Stefan threw Damon away from the wall and started pacing up and down the hall, as though thinking about something really hard and rubbing the back of his head.

"What's the matter, brother? Is the guilt really getting to you now?" said Damon, walking over to pour himself a drink. As he sipped, he kept his eyes fixated on Stefan.

"She's mine, Damon. Always has and always will be". Stefan stared at Damon without so much as a blink.

"Stefan, you have to stop. She is not Katherine. You're just hurting Elena more treating her like she is".

Surprisingly, Stefan did not retaliate. Instead, he sat down on the nearest couch and buried his face into his hands. Damon looked at his brother for a long few minutes, and he could see that Stefan was finally coming to his senses. After what seemed like a very long few minutes of silence, Stefan spoke.

"What have I done?" said Stefan, looking up at the ceiling. "She looks like Katherine, and when I'm with her, it's like I'm with Katherine. That means something, Damon. It does".

"Stefan, stop beating yourself. Move on while you can. Look what you did with Elena. If this carries on, who knows what you'll do next?" Damon went over to sit next to Stefan. He could feel progress.

"Yeah, that wasn't meant to happen. It was an accident. In fact, I meant to hit you and when she knocked on our door, I thought it was you".

"Well that's not going to change what has happened. Why don't you go and find her, Stefan. Go apologize, go straighten things out and move on". Even though Damon was not one to sympathize or feel emotion, he felt such for his only brother.

"But that's easy for you to say. You're not the one who has messed things up".

"Stefan, just stop moping around. Go!" Damon demanded.

And with that, Stefan responded to his brother's command without further question.


	12. Chapter 12

**The Vampire Diaries-Pleasure, Jealousy and Revenge**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters and worlds belong to the author L. J. Smith**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 12<span>

Stefan didn't even know what he was doing. When he let Elena go, he felt nothing. He didn't even care. But now he was going after her. What was he thinking? What was he doing?

As he walked along the side path, his pace began to increase and soon Stefan was running towards the forest. As he ran past several trees and branches, Stefan stopped short of something on the grass next to a big tree trunk. He made his way slowly towards it, and as he got closer, he realized it was Elena. There was blood trickling down the side of her forehead onto her pale white cheek and into her soaking wet clothes.

"Elena? Elena, wake up!" Stefan shouted, trying to get a pulse from her wrist. "Please wake up, Elena. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I promise I won't hurt you anymore, just wake up. Please!"

Stefan tucked the strands of her dark brown, soaking wet hair behind her ears to clear her face. He could feel a light pulse beneath her wrist. Elena was unconscious, and from how it looked, she had fallen. He picked her up off the ground and turned back towards the house. It was all his fault Elena had gotten into this state in the first place, and right now it would be his responsibility to put things right.

As he came in, Damon was stood next to the window examining the contents of his drink. He turned his face to the door as soon as Stefan slammed it shut with his foot.

"What the-"

"Not now, Damon. Just go and get me some towels". Stefan knew what Damon was thinking, but now was not the time.

Damon came back with a handful of towels and a first aid kit, but instead of handing them over to Stefan, he took the lead himself.

"What are you doing?" asked Stefan.

"I think you've already done enough damage, Stefan. Move away and let me deal with this".

"What are you talking about? I found her like this", Stefan growled. "I didn't do anything, Damon".

"Just leave it, will you! We'll talk about it later. Let's just get this towel wrapped around her for now and clean up this mess". Damon grabbed the largest towel from the pile and put it around Elena, opened up the first aid kit and started cleaning up her face where the injury on her forehead was. The bleeding had slowed down, but there was a lot of swelling around that area.

"I think she fell over", Stefan suggested, handing Damon some cloths.

"And how do you think that happened?" The hint of sarcasm in Damon's voice was clearly evident.

"I tried to stop her! You saw me go after her, but she just didn't want to listen". Again, Stefan buried his face into his hands, felling guilt and shame at all the events that had happened so far to Elena as a result of his actions. Yes, it was all Stefan's fault. How much more could a vulnerable, young girl like Elena take? She had already been used and abused in the short period in which she had met Stefan. Enough was enough. He would have to put things straight with her and leave. Yes, that is exactly what he would do.

"I think she's waking up", said Damon, holding up her chin to see. "Elena? You alright?"

Elena slowly began to open her eyes, putting one hand on her forehead and the other on the couch. She was shaking. As she finally opened her eyes fully, she felt the full force of pain hit her forehead and she shut her eyes again.

"Are you alright, Elena?" asked Stefan, stretching his hand out to her as though offering his assistance.

"She's in pain, Stefan. Can't you see for yourself?"

"I'm just trying to help", said Stefan, feeling a little impatient that no one was doing anything to stop the pain. "Why don't you do something then?"

Elena was writhing in pain, and yet again Damon and Stefan were arguing. Even though she was suffering the unbearable pain that came from her forehead, Elena could hear the two brothers shouting at each other.

Damon was about to get up and walk over to Stefan when Elena's cry stopped him. The argument between him and Stefan came to an end when both brother's rushed over to Elena.

"Damon, it hurts", cried Elena, "It really hurts".

She held Damon's shoulders and her eyes were closed shut. There was nothing more that Damon could do, so he grabbed the house phone and dialed for the emergency ambulance to be sent out immediately.

"You can't do that, Damon", said Stefan, grabbing the phone out of Damon's hands. "If they find out how this happened, I'll have no way of getting out".

"Give me the phone Stefan", Damon demanded. "You seriously can't be that selfish to put your wishes before Elena's life. If something bad happens to her, if she dies, then you can say there is no way out. I'm warning you Stefan, hand over the phone".

Stefan paused and looked to Elena. She was hurting, and he was making it even worse with every second that passed.

"Stefan. Please". Elena looked up to Stefan, waiting for his next move.

Stefan slowly handed the phone back to Damon, and Damon wasted no time when he grabbed the phone and started dialing. Within the next five minutes, an ambulance arrived and Elena was taken to the local hospital.


	13. Chapter 13

**The Vampire Diaries-Pleasure, Jealousy and Revenge**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters and worlds belong to the author L. J. Smith**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 13<span>

Damon waited outside the room that Elena was being seen to. It had taken a good half an hour before someone came out to explain what was going on.

"The injury to her forehead has caused minor swelling and she will have some occasions of temporary memory loss, but nothing more serious to worry about. She's going to need looking after for the next few weeks".

Damon nodded in agreement with the consultant and looked at the floor, working his head around how he would deal with the next few weeks. Could Elena's Aunt know about this, or would he have to deal with it in his own way? No, he wouldn't, and couldn't, tell anyone about this. It would look bad most definitely on Stefan but also for himself. Stefan hadn't even bothered to come to the hospital. Was the whole apology and sympathy he showed towards Elena an act? It couldn't be. Stefan showed real guilt at what he had done to her and how he treated her. He seemed more willing to help Elena when he came through that door with Elena lay in his arms. Surely he had come to his senses.

"Damon? Is everything okay?" It was Stefan, and he was holding a bunch of flowers, a box of chocolates and what looked like a small envelope.

Damon ignored him, looking away.

"Damon, I'm sorry. I really am. These past few weeks have been hard for me. I don't know what I've been thinking, what I've been doing. I wish I could turn back time and start all over again".

"Stefan, the damage has been done. You can't just walk in here with a bunch of flowers and some chocolates, apologize and then hope that everything will be happily ever after".

Stefan sat beside him, staring at the floor, wishing he could wave a magic wand and make things better the way Damon had just described. But Damon was right; things did not work that way in reality.

"I know. I understand", Stefan responded. "How is she?"

"Swelling to the forehead, temporary memory loss and a bit of shock. Nothing much for you to worry about", said Damon, the sarcasm in his tone evident.

"Please, Damon. Don't make this any more harder than it already is". Stefan was still staring at the floor, running one hand through his hair.

The two brothers stayed quite for several minutes before someone came out of Elena's room. Stefan stood up before the consultant even began to speak.

"Is she alright?" asked Stefan, looking at the consultant in anticipation. "I mean…will she get better soon?"

"As I have already explained, Elena is very sensitive right now. She will need looking after. We have stitched up the area on her forehead and bandaged it to speed up the healing process". The consultant then turned to Damon. "The dressing must stay on for at least 3 weeks, but you must be careful to avoid any water getting beneath it. I have already explained this to Miss Gilbert but I want to make sure you also understand as she is very susceptible right now, so accidents are possible".

Both Damon and Stefan stared at each other and nodded in agreement. Damon stood up and shook the consultant's hand, thanking him.

"Are we allowed to go inside now?" Damon asked, keen to see if Elena was awake.

"Yes, but one at a time. Elena will be released tomorrow, is there anyone who can sign the forms?" the consultant asked, waiting for either Damon or Stefan to respond.

"I'll do it", said Stefan, stepping forward.

From the corner of his eye, Stefan could see Damon's burning stare, but he tried to ignore it. It was Stefan's fault that Elena was in this mess in the first place, so the least he could do was pay for it.

"Fine", said Damon, "You do that and I'll go in and see to Elena".

Even though Stefan had wanted to go in first to apologize for all that he had done, he knew that now was not the time to start another argument. So he followed the consultant towards the reception to sign the forms for Elena's release tomorrow.


	14. Chapter 14

**The Vampire Diaries-Pleasure, Jealousy and Revenge**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters and worlds belong to the author L. J. Smith**

* * *

><p>Chapter 14<p>

As Damon walked in, he saw Elena facing the other side of the room with one arm resting above her stomach and the other beside her. She had been crying, and her eyes were closed. Damon came closer to her, and as he reached his hand out to her hand, Elena flinched.

"Leave me", she croaked, moving her arm away from Damon's.

"Elena, it's me. It's Damon", he said, sounding hopeful and as though he was speaking to a little child.

Elena remained silent; she did not speak for at least five minutes. Damon had to take things easy. The consultant had told him that she would have temporary memory loss, so this could be part of it. Her silence, her refusal. Yes, that was part of the memory loss. _She'll come round_, Damon thought, _then we could talk._

"Don't worry, Elena", said Damon, "I can understand. You probably wont recognize me right now. I'm sure the consultant has already explained everything to you".

Suddenly, Elena turned around to face Damon, staring at him with anger etched across her face.

"What are you talking about? I may not remember a few things, Damon, but I do remember what you did?" Elena turned back around with her arms folded across her chest.

Damon stood up in shock. _What on earth was she talking about? _

"Elena, you can't be serious? Please tell me you don't think it was me who did all those things to you? Please".

At this point, Damon was literally crouching over Elena, eager to here her say it. How could she think that? How could she misplace Stefan with Damon? He would never hurt her the way that Stefan had hurt her. Stefan had crushed her to pieces, and here she lay on a hospital bed with memory loss as a result of it.

"I don't know what to think Damon, just leave me alone", said Elena, her eyes closed in an attempt to ease the pain that burned on her forehead. "I can't even think straight".

She was right. Damon should know she wasn't thinking straight. She had been through a lot, and her thoughts would be all over the place right now. Damon should not have expected much from her. So what if she thought it was Damon that had beaten and bruised her, she would come round soon and see the truth. She would remember everything.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I'll be outside if you need me", he smiled. "Call me if you need anything Elena".

He took her hand and squeezed it to show his support, and then left.

Once he had gone, Elena turned around and once she was sure the room was clear, she released the tears that were kept back the whole time Damon was with her. It hurt. It really hurt to be like this, not knowing what exactly happened, how she even got here, who exactly did this and why they did it? She was sure Damon had gotten into an argument, but was it with her, or with someone else? Stefan! Yes, Stefan was there. He was arguing with Stefan. Then something happened, but Elena could not quite figure out what. She could remember running away from someone, maybe Damon? But was it Damon? _Oh, I can't do this_, she thought, _I can't remember anything_.

The door opened and Stefan walked in, holding a bunch of flowers, a box of chocolates and a small envelope.

"Hey, it's only me" he said, walking over to Elena and laying the flowers and chocolates on the side table beside her bed. "You okay?"

Elena stared at him for a while before she smiled and nodded. "Thanks for the flowers, they're lovely. Can I smell them?"

Stefan smiled back and handed the flowers to her. Even though it was clear that Elena was in pain, it was nice to see her smile, and she looked very pretty her injury.

"Elena, I just came to ask for your forgiveness. I know what I did was wrong, and none of that should have happened. I was greedy, I was jealous, and I was...I was wrong to do that".

Elena slowly lifted herself up into a sitting position, and lay the flowers back on the table. She took Stefan's hand and smiled again. "It's alright Stefan. It's not your fault. I won't let that happen again. I won't let him come between us anymore".

Stefan stopped stroking the back of her hand in response to what Elena had said. She wont let what happen again? Then Elena continued.

"What you did was right. But what Damon did was wrong. He used me Stefan, and you only tried to stop it. I see that now. I should have listened to you in the first place".

She brought his hand towards her, and then rested her cheek on his palm. The warmth of his skin seeped into her cold face. Stefan could not believe what he was hearing. Elena had indeed thought Damon had done all of those things to her, but it was Stefan. It somehow felt good though. Instead of saying something, Stefan remained silent. He liked the fact that Elena thought Damon was in the wrong. Even if this was part of her memory loss, Stefan wanted it to stay like this. Not being in the wrong, not feeling guilty, not being blamed, but feeling loved and having all the attention right now. He'd apologized for everything, but right now he didn't feel the need. After all, it was part of the memory loss that made Elena mistake Stefan with Damon. He would sort things out later. If he could hold onto this moment for a little longer, make what little time he had with Elena feel special, he would leave on a good note.

"Um…it's okay. You know I'll always be here for you, no matter what", Stefan assured. "Elena, whatever I've done, I hope you can forgive me".

Stefan took both of her hands, squeezing them, showing his support. He should have told her the truth, yet he was still sat there lying to her face. Again. But now was not the time. Elena was not in the right state of mind, she was fragile and vulnerable. She needed all the care, support and love she could get right now, and Stefan would give her that. As he held her hands, Stefan bent down to kiss her on the cheek.

"Are you leaving?" asked Elena, holding tightly onto Stefan's hands.

"I'll be back before you know it, Elena", Stefan assured, kissing her hands before letting go and heading for the door.

"I love you, Stefan", she shouted as he was about to grab the door handle.

That caught Stefan's attention with a mixture of feelings. Surprise, shock, guilt. What had he done? He turned around, smiled and chose his words carefully.

"Thank you Elena", he said, but somehow he couldn't force the same words back at her, even if it was a lie. And with that, he grabbed the door handle and walked out.


	15. Chapter 15

**The Vampire Diaries-Pleasure, Jealousy and Revenge**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters and worlds belong to the author L. J. Smith**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 15<span>

For the next few days, Elena had stayed over at the Salvatore house. Damon had passed on a letter that had supposedly been written by Elena to her Aunt Jenna explaining that she would be sleeping over at a friends house for a while to help her revise for the upcoming exams. Elena herself had been told that she would stay there with Damon and Stefan "as instructed" by the consultant. Another lie, but one that seemed necessary for her to recover.

Elena had struggled to settle in the house. She felt there was something wrong, but she didn't know what. A few days ago in the hospital, she literally confessed her feelings out loud to Stefan, and all he did was thank her. That's it. Nothing more. And what Damon had done to her, or what she thought he'd done to her, Elena could not forgive. In the meantime, she hadn't spoken to him. Her thoughts were all over the place, and she couldn't think straight.

"You okay?" Damon asked, as he sat on the couch beside her.

Elena nodded, but didn't look at him. She hadn't spoken to him for three days since being released from hospital. In a way, she felt guilty about it, but she didn't know what to do. She had trusted Damon, and he had abused her trust. Back at the hospital, Damon was surprised when Elena had confronted him. The emotion she witnessed from him made her question herself even more. She couldn't have gotten it all wrong, surely.

"Please Elena, just speak to me", Damon pleaded. "I know your thoughts are all over the place, but I haven't done anything wrong. I swear".

Elena looked down at the floor, resisting the urge to look at him. He was wrong. It was him that lied to her, him that had her locked up in the state she was in, and Stefan had been the one who saved her.

"I tried to tell you from the very start. I told you Stefan was using you, and if trying to protect you was wrong, then I apologize", Damon said, raising both his hands up.

Damon got up off the couch and knelt down in front of Elena, lifting her chin up so that she was facing him.

"Elena, you have to believe me. Can you do me a favour, please?"

Surprisingly, Elena looked back into his soft, dark eyes, and waited for Damon to continue.

"Okay, I want you to try your best to think back to what happened. Do you remember me and Stefan arguing?"

Elena could remember that, she remembered the two brothers arguing about something that had to do with her, but she couldn't quite grasp what the argument consisted of. She nodded.

"Great! And do you remember what Stefan had told you?" Damon took Elena's hand in anticipation. He felt he was slowly getting somewhere with this, but he didn't want to get his hopes up too soon.

Again, Elena closed her eyes and began thinking past the argument. She pictured vivid images of Damon and Stefan arguing, and she could vaguely remember one of them trying to apologize, but then something had happened. Suddenly, Elena broke her three-day silence with Damon and spoke.

"After your argument, someone came up to me", said Elena, trying to figure out who, "But I don't know…they were trying to tell me something, and then…then I remember running. Yes, running! I remember that".

"Okay Elena, you're doing well. Can you remember who that person was, or what they looked like?" Damon followed Elena's eyes as she scanned the room, trying to picture where they were stood when the argument had started.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, she started to remember it. She could see Stefan, he was trying to apologize, saying something about not being entirely honest with her. But she was sure it was Damon. She was sure of it.

"No, it can't be", said Elena, taking her hands out of Damon's and standing up. "Stefan hasn't done anything wrong. It can't be him".

She could feel tears rolling down her cheek, but she couldn't stop them. She really liked Stefan. It couldn't have been him, could it? And then it dawned back on her. The day she ran out of their house, when she cried her way back home, back to the forest, and then when everything had gone black. Yes she began to remember it all. But she didn't want to. She didn't want Stefan to be in the wrong.

"Elena, Elena, stop it! You're hurting yourself", said Damon, grabbing both her hands up in front of her. Without noticing, Elena was scraping her left arm with her nails, causing them to go red and slowly bleed. "Elena, maybe you should take a nap. You've had enough for today".

"No! I don't want to sleep. I don't want anything from you. I don't want to see you, hear you, talk to you", Elena shouted, heading for the front door. "Just leave me alone".

As soon as she came to grab the door handle, Damon caught her in time and swung her round to face him. She struggled against his grip, but Damon still held her and pushed her up against the wall to stop her from trying to get away. He couldn't let her go, she was vulnerable and would land herself in danger. As he held her in place, his hot, panting breath rushed against Elena's skin. She shivered, and slowly looked up to see his raging eyes hit hers. He looked angry, as though he was about to rip her to pieces. A small wince escaped Elena's lips as she stopped struggling beneath his hands. She'd never seen him like this. She closed her eyes, the only thing she felt she could do to make it all stop, to get away from it all. As her eyes remained shut, she felt the hot air that circled her face getting warmer and warmer. Suddenly, she could feel something soft touch her lips. As she opened her eyes, Elena found Damon's face against hers, his lips against hers and his hands against hers. She hadn't even noticed that she was responding to his move. As soon as the realization hit her, she flinched back away from him, only to hit the wall.

"Ouch!" she cried, rubbing the back of her head carefully where the bandage around it was still there. As Damon reached out to her, she flinched again, trying to somewhat defend herself as though Damon was going to attack.

"I'm so sorry, Elena. I shouldn't have done that. That was way too soon". Damon realized his mistake, and now Elena was retreating from him like he was some monster. "Elena, are you-"

"Leave me", she shouted, running upstairs and into the spare bedroom that she had stayed in for the past three days, throwing herself onto the bed and crying into one of the pillows. How could she have just done that? She wanted Stefan, and after finding out the truth about him, Damon had made a move on her. How could it have been Stefan using her when Damon had just used her vulnerability to make his move. It was Damon using her, not Stefan. But what made her more angry, more sad and even more guilty was that she responded to his kiss, and at the same time, she hadn't even noticed it. As the whole episode of what had just happened played around in her head, with Elena questioning herself and her feelings for Stefan, she began to drift off until she fell asleep.

Downstairs, Damon was sat on the floor, his face buried in his hands, replaying what had just happened in his head. Did he really just kiss Elena? And despite apologizing for the silly move he had made on her, did he really feel something special during that encounter? She felt soft beneath his lips, and as he memorized it again, he felt a smile cross his face. He liked it. Yes, he felt guilty about it, but somehow he was happy that it happened. But then he remembered her running off upstairs. He hadn't even considered what Elena felt. What about her feelings? Damon was supposed to be looking after her, and instead he had used the moment to make an uncontrollable move on her. _What have I done?, _he thought.

As he reached Elena's bedroom, he knocked on the door. There was no answer. After a few more knocks, he decided to walk slowly in, only to find that she was just lay there in a deep sleep. He observed her face for a couple of minutes, noticing the worry that pained and stained her face. It killed him to see her like this, when she was supposed to be recovering under his care. How could he do that? As he stepped back out of the room, Damon headed downstairs and decided that it was best for him to leave her alone. For now, anyway.


	16. Chapter 16

**The Vampire Diaries-Pleasure, Jealousy and Revenge**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters and worlds belong to the author L. J. Smith**

Chapter 16

When she woke up, Elena's face was still wet from crying. The last few hours came rushing back. Damon's lips against hers. She sat up and thought about what happened. It was wrong, and it should never have happened. But as she sat there a bit longer, Elena felt something inside her. She felt something good. What she felt when she thought about the encounter with Damon made her feel just a little excited. She shouldn't have felt that way, but at the same time she could not control it.

_No, I can't. I can't do this to him. Stefan is the one I want. _Despite having these thoughts run through her, Elena could not help but feel confused, and somehow wrong. _Was it really Stefan that she wanted?_ She couldn't take it anymore, all the thoughts clashing and hitting against each other. She didn't know exactly what she wanted right now, and maybe it was best for her to wait until she was fully recovered before she made any decisions. Maybe then she could think more clearly.

When Elena came downstairs to make herself a sandwich, she ran into Stefan. The thought of what had just happened with Damon made her feel uncomfortable as she began to think what would happen if Stefan found out. If he felt the same about Elena, which she doubted from what had happened back at the hospital, then Stefan could not find out. But that would not happen. No one would be saying anything. That kiss would stay between Damon and Elena, and they would forget that it ever happened.

"Hey, you okay?" asked Stefan, as he closed the fridge door. "I wanted to talk to you before but you were asleep".

As she took two slices of bread out and started to butter them, Stefan walked over to Elena, placing one hand over her shoulder. She flinched, but tried to keep herself calm and cool.

"Oh, really?' asked Elena, trying to stay relaxed. She didn't want him to suspect anything, or even know that she knew it was Stefan who had caused all of this pain in the first place. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I…Well I just wanted to talk about what happened, y'know, before you went into hospital". It was clear that Stefan didn't really want to talk about it, but he continued. "I know I apologized and stuff, but back in the hospital, you said something to me".

Elena stopped what she was doing and her stomach began to churn. The thought of eating a sandwich no longer felt appealing to her, she wasn't hungry anymore.

"Listen, I don't want to talk about it".

"No, you have to listen Elena", he demanded, holding her hand to catch her attention. "You hit your head badly, and the injury has blurred your memory so you're not thinking straight. I know you think that Damon did all those bad things to you, but…"

Stefan paused. He wanted so badly to stop, to have just a little more of Elena to himself, but that just meant more and more lies. A part of him liked Elena, but he didn't love her the way he loved Katherine. That kind of love was completely different, and he wouldn't ever feel the same for another girl. And by leading Elena along like this, he was hurting her more than she had already faced, and stopping his brother from taking his chances. Damon felt something much more stronger for Elena than Stefan did, and Stefan new that his brother would treat her right and protect her, just like he had done against Stefan.

"But what? Go on Stefan, say it". Elena wanted to hear the truth now, and she wanted it to come from Stefan, despite knowing herself.

"It wasn't him. It was me. It's all my fault you got hurt. I thought I could be with you, but it wasn't you I wanted. I lost Katherine and being with you made me feel like I was back with her again. And then things just kept going wrong. I was leading you on, hurting you along the way. I should have ended it as soon as Damon warned me, but I couldn't".

Elena turned to face him, looking into his eyes, seeing hurt and worry in them. She wanted to know why he couldn't have ended it, what was stopping him.

"Why couldn't you?" she asked. "Why couldn't you stop it all before it got to this?"

"I was jealous of my brother. I was jealous that he hadn't lost something so special to him, and that he didn't have to go through with what I had to go through". The pain in Stefan's face was clear, and his muscles began to tense as he continued to speak. "Losing Katherine was hard for me. I couldn't cope with it. I didn't go anywhere, I didn't speak to anyone. I lost everything Elena".

Elena couldn't help but feel sympathy for him. After everything he had done to her, and as the thoughts that reunited with her memory came rushing back, she still felt it was the right thing to listen to his side of the story. She put her hand on top of his, and he continued.

"I wanted revenge. But I didn't know what for. In a way, I wanted to show my brother that I could get what I wanted, even if I had lost Katherine. I wanted him to go through what I had been through, to make him suffer just like I did. If I couldn't have someone, then neither could he".

"But don't you think that was wrong of you. It wasn't your brother's fault that you lost Katherine. I'm sure he was sorry for you, and he must have been hurt by your loss". Elena seemed to have forgotten everything, and all she could think of right now was comforting Stefan, trying to make him feel better.

"I know that now. But I wish I knew that before, I wish I realized all of that and none of this would have happened". Stefan grabbed strands of his hair as though he wanted to pull them out. Small, light tears began to run down his cheeks, and he turned away from Elena in an attempt to hide them.

"Stefan, it's alright. Cry as much as you want, let it all out", Elena reassured, "I'm here for you, and always will be. So is Damon. He only wants what's best for you".

Wiping away the tears, Stefan turned back to face Elena, holding both her hands up. "Elena, I remember what you said to me in the hospital. I didn't want to lead you on any further than that, but when you told me you loved me, you don't know how guilty I felt. And even now, I feel so terrible. I don't want to hurt your feelings, I really don't. I really like you, and you're like my sister if anything".

He stared at her, waiting for her to respond. Elena felt a little sad, but deep down, and after her thoughts about Damon, she couldn't help but feel just a little relieved. Was she relieved that Stefan didn't love her? And did she feel excited about Damon? No, she couldn't think about these things. She wouldn't allow herself to. She promised to let go until she recovered, that way she would have a much clearer head to think about what she wanted.

"I understand, Stefan. I just want to forget about all of this. Once I'm all better, I'll be out of your way. I don't want to make things any more harder than they already are".

As she continued making her sandwich with less enthusiasm than when she had started, Stefan placed the same envelope he had with him at the hospital onto the kitchen counter beside Elena.

"There's no need for that. I'm just really sorry, Elena", he said. "I really hope you can forgive me, and I promise I will never hurt you again. If you can spare some time and read my letter, I'd be very grateful.

And with that, he walked out of the room.


	17. Chapter 17

**The Vampire Diaries-Pleasure, Jealousy and Revenge**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All characters and worlds belong to the author L. J. Smith**

Chapter 17

_Dear Elena, I know that I don't usually express myself to others in letters, but I wanted to write you a letter and explain myself properly. You already know most of what has happened, and you now know that I haven't been the honest, true person you thought you'd met. I firstly wanted to apologise for everything that has gone on from the first day we met, for letting you into my life, for allowing you to smile at me, speak to me and feel you can trust me. I wish I could turn back time and none of this would have ever happened. My greed took over. I thought I could replace you with Katherine, but I was wrong. You are a special girl, and you deserve someone special. You may not know it now, but my brother has feelings for you, feelings that I didn't have. At first, I didn't want to allow him to have you. I felt that if I had lost someone, then he had to go through the same too. My actions were wrong. I have promised myself to stop being that kind of person, and I want you to give my brother a chance to show himself to you. He really likes you, and I am sure there is something there. My brother only wanted to protect you, and I really hope you can see that. By the time you read this letter, I'll probably be on my way. I have decided to stay at a friend's house. I want to give you some space. I have put you and Damon through a lot, and I need some time to myself too. It is best for us all to stay apart and sort things out. I really hope you can forgive me for what I have done, and I can completely understand if you can't. I just want to thank you for being a truly amazing person, a best friend, and giving me your love and attention. Thank you for everything, Elena._

As she folded the letter back into the small envelope, Elena sighed. She wanted to run out and stop Stefan, but maybe he was right. Maybe it was for the best.

"Elena! You're here!"

"Damon, please leave me alone". Elena quickly turned back to the kitchen counter, hiding the envelope in her pocket and going back to making her sandwich.

"Elena, listen, I shouldn't have done that", Damon said, walking up towards her and placing one hand on her shoulder. "I wasn't thinking".

Elena moved away from him, cutting her sandwich in half and moving over to the table. She sat down, but didn't even touch her sandwich.

"You're just as bad as him", she whispered, playing around with her sandwich.

"Don't say that", said Damon, walking over to the table and sitting in front of her. He took both of her hands and lifted her chin up to face him. "Elena, I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry".

"Is that all you two brothers do? Hurt people, apologise and then think everything is alright". She stood up, staring him down and waiting for him to respond.

Damon stood up to face her, face to face, eye to eye.

"Elena, I would never hurt you. You know it". He took her arm, waiting for her to accept, or at least say something. "Can you forgive me?"

Elena didn't want to make things even bigger than they already were. Why was she even making this into a big thing? It was Stefan who had really hurt her. All Damon had done was simply provide her with comfort, protect her, make her feel special. So what was making Elena act like this? Refusing, rejecting, repelling. Deep down, something was telling her to stop being so difficult. Stefan had gone now, there wasn't anything to worry about anymore.

"Elena, you okay?" Damon said, shaking her a little.

"What?" she flinched. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I said, can you forgive me for what I did back there? I promise you it wont ever happen again".

But Elena couldn't help the thought of that small encounter. She actually wanted it to happen again, despite her initial reaction to it. What was wrong with her? One minute she couldn't believe what had happened, the next she was hoping for it to happen again!

"It's alright Damon", she said, suddenly taking his hand and squeezing it. "Let's forget about it, yeah?"

Damon smiled in response and sat back down in front of Elena. He stared at her, and then at the sandwich in front of her.

"You going to eat that?" he asked.

"Take half", she laughed, passing the plate to him.

Damon laughed in response and within a few seconds the sandwich disappeared in his mouth.


End file.
